In Your Dreams
by Jazz WindField
Summary: Within everyone rests the potential to do great things. To open your eyes to the world and develop that potential is something only one in a million is capable of. Being able to explore another world in your dreams… well… "Tsunayoshi, welcome to Dreamland." AU/Pre-Series
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn, nor do I own the name Dreamland. Apparently it's from a French manga that I've read a long long time ago which I have only just recalled.

A/N: Alternate Universe. No pairings as of now. And this is a plot bunny-flower mutation that has bloomed and taken root in my brain. Hopefully I'll be able to write it out in a way that's presentable. Reviews and criticisms are highly welcomed.

* * *

Prologue

"…w-where am I?" Sawada Tsunayoshi could only look around at his new surroundings helplessly, sniffling as tears started to well in his eyes. "Mama… Where are you?"

The last thing he could remember was going to sleep in his bed, being tucked in by his mama after a tiring day of playing with his grandpa. It was fun as this was the first time he saw those pretty colors in someone else's eyes, although it felt weird when his grandpa's colors touched his….

Trembling badly as the ground rumbled, Tsunayoshi had to press his little hands hard against his mouth to prevent himself from screaming loudly. _'I want mama! …did I do something bad mama? Why did you leave me here?' _

"Ahh… Here you are little guy!" Someone cried out from behind him.

Tsuna unwittingly let out a small shriek as he scrambled on his hands and knees, jerkily trying to turn around and look at the person that had suddenly appeared.

His eyes wide in surprise, the blond haired guy squatted down with his arms stretched out towards Tsuna. "I'm sorry for surprising you kid, I don't mean you any harm. See? Nothing here," he grinned as his wriggled his empty hands. "So, what's your name little one?"

Tsuna was torn between running away from the guy and running towards his embrace. But something within him told him that this guy could be trusted. Still, he ended up staying rooted in his spot on the ground. Tearing up, Tsuna could only cry softly, "Tsu-Tsunayoshi. Mama always call m-me Tsuna."

Grinning just a little more widely, the guy slowly approached him and enveloped him in a hug, ruffling his brown hair, "Don't cry Tsuna, it'll be alright! This is just a dream, so you will only see your Mama when you wake up, okay? My name's Dino, nice to meet you!"

"Dino… nii-san? This is just a d-dream?" Tsuna pushed himself away from the blond's shoulder to look at him in the eye. "S-so, you are not real…?" He frowned as he poked the dream-person on his shoulder, and his finger bounced back. "You seem real to me Dino-nii…"

"Umm…" Dino lifted Tsuna for a brief moment as he settled down on the ground cross-legged. Tilting his head to the side, he tried to explain in a way a young child would understand. "I'm real Tsuna, I live on the same earth as you. How should I put it… … Well, this is the place where you meet real people in your dreams!"

Tsuna's eyes grew wide in amazement, "Meet real people… in my dreams?"

Nodding happily, Dino bent down and whispered in Tsuna's ear, "Let me tell you a secret Tsuna. If we become good friends, we'll get to meet each other in real life!"

"Really?" Tsuna was entranced by all Dino was telling him. Shyly tugging on his shirt, Tsuna whispered, "So… We will become friends in the real world as well? Not just in here?"

"Haha! Of course Tsuna! And then you can be my little brother, okay?" He tugged the kid into another hug, glad that the tears and fear in his eyes have finally abated.

God knows how afraid he felt when he came to this place for the first time when he was ten. And his kid looked no more than five! It was no wonder he was crying for his mother. Smiling when the kid finally looked him in the eye again, he quickly hoisted the kid to his feet, ignoring the squeak that came from him.

Now that he was finally assigned a charge, Dino could only look around this world in nostalgia. It would not be long before he would be barred from this place. He has heard enough hear-say of how this world works in the years he has been here.

"_To gain a charge means that the countdown has finally started. The countdown to when you begin to grow up and take your place in the world…to the time where you will never be able to come back here in your dreams again. Treasure the time you have here, while you're still here. Because once you have matured, this would be nothing more than a figment of your imagination."_

Tugging the kid along as they made their way to the nearest town, Dino couldn't help a growing sadness in his heart, _'I would miss being able to come here and escape all the crazy shit that's happening in the real world…'_

Stopping at the road leading them directly into town, Dino lifted Tsuna into his arms as the kid stared at the bustling shops and people in wide-eyed fascination.

"Tsunayoshi, welcome to Dreamland."

* * *

Tsuna rubbed his eyes and found himself once again lying on his bed, where his mama tucked him in the night before, as if the events that happened in Dreamland never happened.

Looking around his room, Tsuna scrunched up his face when everything looked so… ordinary. He could hear his mama humming in the kitchen downstairs and his papa snoring in the room next to his. But it lacked the excitement, the fun he had while seeing all the different things in town with Dino-nii.

With his mind made up, Tsuna slowly climbed down from his bed and almost tripped on a crease in the carpeting, but luckily caught himself in time. Padding down the staircase, Tsuna stopped right outside the kitchen and quietly greeted his mama.

Breakfast started the moment papa ambled down the steps, happily crying out words of affection towards his wife and only child. Seated at the table, Tsuna looked at his papa seriously, causing a chain reaction in the family as he was never known to be serious about anything.

"Papa… Tsu-kun wants a computer." Seeing his parent's eyebrow lifting in shock, he quickly slid down the chair and climbed onto his father's lap. "Please papa… Tsu-kun wants to learn how to use a computer. Please get me one…"

His parents could only exchange bewildered looks above his head, before his father finally decided that there was not any harm getting him one. As long as he is carefully monitored while using it, Iemitsu nodded to himself.

Picking up his child, he placed little Tsunayoshi back onto his seat and moved over to his dearest Nana. He placed a light kiss on her cheeks and looked over to his son, "We will go look at a computer for you today, okay Tsuna-chan?"

"But dear—" Nana started, and was quickly silenced when her husband gently squeezed her shoulders.

"Don't worry my dearest Nana, I'll make sure that the computer is safe for our Tsuna-chan… And that you get to monitor the amount of time he spends on it."

Nana sighed; she could never win against her husband. Getting up, she gave her child a soft smile. "Eat up Tsu-kun~ We will go over to the shopping district and take a look at the computers they sell after you are done with your breakfast."

The wide grin that Tsuna shot both her and her husband melted away whatever was left of her objections. Her heart warmed at the sight of her child's happiness.

'_I'll find you, Dino-nii!'_


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Entering his room, Tsuna quietly put down his bag and reached out to the back of his neck and grimaced. His classmates thought that it would be fun to make dame-Tsuna play in the mud today, while they stood by watching. He lost count of how many times he had been shoved into the puddles of mud and had mud stuff down the back of his shirt.

"… I have no idea to be glad or sad that mama still bought the excuse that we were playing in the mud," Tsuna muttered as he took a change of clothes and made his way to the bathroom.

It has been years since he first stepped into Dreamland, and in comparison, real life just seems so boring. Every time in class when he was supposed to listen, it was all he could do to try and stay awake, despite the hope that if he fell asleep, he could end up back in his dreams.

Tsuna was not stupid by any means, he was just unmotivated.

Turning the knob and allowing the spray of water to wash away the clots of mud, Tsuna could only hum and look on the bright side, hoping that someone else who could understand him would appear.

0o0o0o0o0

_Five Years Ago – Dreamland_

"Dino-nii! Where are we going?" Tsuna cried out as his brother figure started to drag him away from all the little stands selling weird _'and cool!' _items and turned into a dark side alley walking towards a place only he knew.

'_Is he going to sell me?'_ Tsuna's mind raced as his started to panic and the fear that he previously felt started to bubble up to the surface once again. _'Is Dino-nii a bad guy like what papa described?'_

But before he could start screaming for help, Dino stopped and bent down to quietly whisper at his ear, "Tsuna, calm down. I'm just bringing you to see a friend of mine and explain more about Dreamland. If anything happens one day, come back here and find him. I promise, he will be able to help you."

"Dino…nii?" Whatever Tsuna wanted to say was abruptly cut off by the sharp raps Dino made on the wooden door.

"Hey Julie! Open the door you—" The door swung open and hit Dino right in his face. "Ouch! What the hel—"

"Mmm, and to think I was wondering who was raising a racket out here," the guy, Julie turned to Dino with a small smirk on his face, "Did you forget that my door swings outwards again?"

"Mmmuh! That hurt!" Dino was crouching down near the wall; both of his hands cradling his face as he carefully checked for any signs of bleeding, or if anything was broken.

"Stop being such a wimp Dino, I'm sure it doesn't hurt… Much," he then turned his attention towards Tsuna, who had been watching the interaction between the two fearfully. "You're so cute!" In a flash, he swooped towards Tsuna and hugged him tightly, with one hand reaching up and ruffling his head.

"So where did you find him baka-Dino?" Julie asked as he pulled Tsuna into the building, despite the boy's protests.

"…He's my charge."

Julie froze. Looking at hisacquaintance _'friend? Could I even call him that?' _ Julie turned to put Tsuna on a sofa before saying, "So, it's your turn huh?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Dino replied softly, "I guess so."

Snorting, Julie shot back, "You will make a shitty adult. I didn't expect that people like you would be able to grow up and mature, to be honest."

Indignant, Dino protested, "What is that supposed to mean? I've been going through hell these few years! That spartan tutor of mine seems adamant on driving me to an early grave! Explosives, gunshot wounds, flash bombs, spy glasses and blackmail, I've experienced all of that! Preparing me for my future responsibilities my ass… He just likes to torture people!"

"…Your tutor methods seem to work though."

Gaping and speechless for a couple of seconds, he could only heave a sigh and flop down to the seat beside Tsuna, giving him a reassuring look and replied, "I only wish it had not worked so well. I wouldn't mind a couple more years in this place, you know…" Dino ran his fingers though his hair, all the while wishing that this world would be open to him for just a little longer.

"…Dino-nii, you're… leaving?" Tsuna's quiet voice broke through his haze of thoughts and sadness.

"Ah…"

"Not yet kid. But he won't be able to come back here soon," Julie smoothly interjected. "Don't worry, I'll still be here after he's gone, so find me if anything is wrong, okay?" His eyes softened as he looked at the small charge that Dino was assigned. Probably, out of all of them, Dino's disappearance would be the hardest for the little guy over there.

Nodding his head hesitantly, Tsuna decided it was better not to say anything if all it does was to put that sad look on Dino-nii's face.

"Enough of this depressing talk, come on Tsuna, let us see if we can identify one or two of your talents!" Dino jumped to his feet and motioned Tsuna to follow him, with Julie trailing discontentedly behind, muttering some unflattering words about blond-headed idiots.

0o0o0o0

_Present – Real World_

Coming out from the shower, Tsuna quickly went back into his room and booted up his laptop. Rubbing the fluffy towel against the damp strands of his hair, he recalled what Julie told him shortly after Dino-nii left Dreamland forever.

"_The first rule of Dreamland, Tsuna, is that you must never die. Even though this is just a dream, it doesn't mean that dying here would not affect you in real life. There are rumors, stories even, of what people who died here became in the real world," Julie looked at him seriously in the eye, ensuring that he was paying attention, before continuing. _

"_Apparently, if you die in Dreamland, you will never be able to access this place ever again. But unlike those who 'graduated' naturally, you won't even remember this place if you die. Not this world, not the people, nothing! It is as if everything here is erased from their minds. And they…" at this, he stopped and frowned, before hesitantly continuing, "They become dead inside. It's as if they have lost their dreams, their will to do better and achieve something more in their lives."_

"_Some of them may still go on to do great things in their lives, but those are the rare few, most would just wither away. Dreamland may seem like a wondrous place to you Tsuna, but don't ever take it lightly." _

True enough, even though he did not understand most of what Julie said at that point in time, he realized it soon enough as the years passed. Dreamland was not all sunshine and rainbows; it was a melting pot of all sorts of people. The geniuses, the leaders, the protectors as well as the destroyers… People from all walks of life can be found in Dreamland.

Julie, if what he said could be believed, is loosely affiliated with the mafia, and so was Dino if Julie's guess is accurate, even though he never gave a straight answer when Julie asked.

Tsuna opened multiple browsers the moment his laptop was turned on, and started typing. His fingers flew across the keyboard as black and white characters scrolled down the screen.

0o0o0o0o0

_Five Years Ago - Dreamland_

"Dino-nii… what am I supposed to do?" Tsuna turned back to look at the two people behind him in confusion.

"Tsuna, just type on the computer," Dino encouraged.

Looking wearily at the huge screen in front of him, he questioned his brother's sanity. "Just type? Anything? What if it breaks?"

"Haha! Don't worry about that Tsuna, it won't break. And you can just type anything you want. The content does not matter," Dino grinned, before musing, _'Well, it should not break as long as you have a slightest bit of inclination towards technology…' _

His fingers hovering over the keyboard as if he's afraid that it's going to break the moment he makes contact with it, Tsuna bit his lip nervously before gently pressing a key.

It was as if a tendril of electricity crept up his arms with that short contact and took hold of his arms. In a flash, his fingers continued to type without Tsuna being in control. The more he typed, the faster the screen flashed, from white to red and back to normal before the cycle repeated itself all over again.

"HIIEEEE!" Tsuna shrieked when his panic took over his mind and he tried valiantly to jerk his hands off the keyboard.

"Tsuna! Tsuna, calm down!" The next thing he felt was a pair of arms wrapped safely around him, and a voice by his ear whispering calming words.

"It's ok Tsuna, this is natural. Now, listen to my voice and take a deep breath. And relax," Dino slowly talked Tsuna down from a panic attack and gently removed his arms from the keyboard. The moment he regained control over his arms, Tsuna immediately wrapped his arms around Dino's neck and refused to let go.

Grinning sheepishly at the kid, Dino apologized, "I'm sorry for scaring you Tsuna. It's all over now." _'Well, at least until the next time we decide to discover another talent of yours. Then it would repeat itself. Again. Hopefully I would be gone by then.' _

'_You crafty bastard,' _Julie glared at Dino, knowing full well what's going through his head right now.

"So, how is it Julie?"

Frowning, Julie's eyes scanned across the screens, making little noises every now and then as he waded through the whole screen of codes, "Well, Tsuna definitely has a talent in this area. He's not a Genius though, around Adept or slightly more. From what I can see, he knows nuts about encoding, protecting or designing, he would definitely do better decryption and hacking stuff."

"… I… see—" Dino started only to be rudely cut off by Julie's retort.

"No, you don't. You have no idea half of what I've just said, do you."

"…Nope."

"Figures," Julie grouched.

Dino just laughed and hugged Tsuna even tighter.

Tsuna could only look at the bickering pair and hope that everything would continue to stay like this.

'_I don't want things to change…' _

0o0o0o0o0

_Present – Real World_

A soft beep signaled to Tsuna that the data retrieval has been completed and he made sure to carefully erase his tracks before logging off.

Tsuna transferred all the data he had into an external hard drive and made sure that all connections to the local area network and internet was cut off before he dared to open the files.

Absorbing the data and facts on the screen before him, he briefly wondered since when has hacking random mafia databases become a semi-daily occurrence.

'…Probably from the moment when I realized my father was working in the Mafia, I guess,' Tsuna absently replied his own unspoken question.

A part of resented his father for hiding such a dangerous secret from the rest of his family, for leaving his mama and him behind every single time he has to go back to Italy for work.

Yet… His time in Dreamland matured him in ways real life could not.

He has seen people killed on the streets in Dreamland for fights they had not meant to start. He has seen friends of people with secrets being threatened or even murdered for the knowledge they kept. He has seen people do bad stuff, hoping against all common sense, for a good outcome.

While the real world allowed him to tell what's wrong and what's right, Dreamland showed him that the world exists mostly in shades of grey. In a sense, he is thankful for that piece of knowledge.

And he had to disagree with what Julie said to Dino-nii during their first meeting. Although Tsuna was sure that Dino-nii's tutor had a part in preparing him to take over his responsibilities, Dreamland most likely had a huge part in maturing his mind as well, whatever Dreamland actually is.

'_And that's the biggest mystery, isn't it?'_

Suddenly, his phone beeped. Reaching out to look at the message, Tsuna could only sigh.

'Had a good dream? –Ban'

Typing out a quick reply, Tsuna then put his phone on the nightstand by his bed before stepping out of his room for dinner.

'It's starting to turn into a nightmare. Be careful. – Tsuna'

0o0o0o0o0

A/N: I told myself to type a minimum of 4k, and this is what popped out. Well, at least I updated right? I'll try making the next chapter longer while reducing the information dump on all the new characters Tsuna will meet as well as the information about Dreamland.

Planning, apparently, doesn't work when it comes to this story. Since my hands would take over and make liberal changes to the flow even as I'm typing them out on word. So please speak up if you see any inconsistencies or plot holes. Or even grammatical mistakes and typos, since I'm pretty sure this fic is filled with them. My grammar sucks. Period. I'm willing to try if someone would point out the mistakes I'm making.

Reviews are welcomed, so please review!


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